Tank suction-pipe unit



Sept. 16, 1930.

W. E. WOLLHEIM TANK SUCTION PIPE UNIT Filed Feb. 28, 1929 20c INVENTOR:

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. wanna E. woLLnEIM, OF'NEW frequently happens,

Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED {STATES PATENT OFFICE YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ANTHONY COMPANY,

OF LONG ISLAND CITY NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF N EW YORK TANK SUCTION-PIPE UNIT Appli c ati on filed February 28, 1929. Serial No. 343,539.

This invention relates to suction pipe connections used with storage tanks from which a liquid is pumped for purposes'of supplying oil to oil burning, systems, gasolene to dispensing stations,.or the like.

Suction pipe connections of this kind, as

heretofore made, comprise a pipe stub screwed into the tank, the stub carrying at its lower end which terminates a little above the lowest part of the tank, a foot valve to trap'the liquid in the suction pipe in order to eliminate the priming of the system, except perhaps when first starting it. This valve was customarily screwed onto the suction pipe stub from withinthe tank. If, as quite the valve becomes wedged in its seat duetoforeign matter in the liquid, or tarry residue of oil when oil is used, no liquid can be pumped from the tank. To repair such valve, or force it offits seat, necessitates the withdrawal of that end of the suction pipe which extends intothe tank and carries the foot 'valveand its casing; or some one must climb into the tank and re place or otherwise repair the footvalve at great inconvenience and sometimes danger to the one making the repairs. If the tank is filled with a liquid andno provision is made for withdrawing the foot valve through its top, the tank may have tolbe drained. 7 In either case, such repairs cannot be ,made quickly andnecessitate the shutting down of the operation of the systemfor relatively long periods with considerable monetary loss .to its users. Q

It is the principal object of the invention to eliminate shut-downsof systems due to foot valve troubles of thekind described. Another. object is to provide an assembled unit for this purpose which carries coupled to it that end of the suction pipe which extends into the tank and to which is connected the usual foot valve, so that this end of the suction pipe and itsattachedjfoot valve can easily be connected to or rem'oved from the unit withoutbeingfcompelled to enter the tank. A furthe'robject is to provide simple sition"orforgrinding it into its seat without the necessity of removingthesame from the tank. Stillfurther objects will become ap parent as the nature ofthe invention is better understood after a study of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through atank suction pipe unit, showing in dotted'lines a fragmentary part of the tank and the piping connected to the unit;

Fig.2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional, View of the means projecting externallyof the unit for rotating the foot valve, drawn in a larger scale;

Fig. '3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the plane of line 33 but drawn in a larger scale;

-Fig. 4: is aside view of the foot valve in Fig. 1,

proper and a fragmentary part of its turn-.

ing means, drawn in the same scale as Fig.

3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the coupling member holding the removable suction pipe stub and foot valve to the unit.

' Like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the following specification.

10 is a bushing screwed into the top of a tank 11. Bushing 10 is substantially tubular in shape, having a pipe-threaded lower end 12 whichscrews into a correspondingly threaded opening of the tank, a polygonal middle portion 18' for application of a wrench,"a

screw-threaded upper end 14, a cylindrical 985 opening 15 through its center, and a convexed surface 16 at its top face@ 17 is an elbow fitting having an enlarged lower portion 18 resting upon surface 16 of the bushing 10 forming a ball joint therewith, and a cylindrical extension 19 into opening 15, interiorly tapped for a pipe at 20. The enlarged portion 18 of fitting 17 is coupled onto the bushing 10 by means of a nut 20 which engages the threaded end let of the bushing. The outside of this nut is polygonal in shape at 20 and is also providedwith a number of slots at 20. The upper end of fitting 17, disposed ats ubstantially right angles to the vertical axis of bushing 10 and the lower portion several views and the 18, is screw threaded externally for a pipe at 21.

22 is a pipe screwed into fitting 17 at 20 extending into the tank. Onto its lower end is screwed at 23 a foot valve casing 24, substantially cylindrical in shape, having an enlarged middle section 25, and a smaller cylindrical bore 26 at its bottom. To the lower outside portion of the casing 24 is fitted a perforated strainer basket 27.

28 is a foot valve comprising a. central disc 29 having its lower face tapered at 30 to seat at a correspondingly tapered top edge 31 of the bore 26 of the casing. 32 are wings below the disc 29 to slidingly guide the valve 28 within the bore 26. 33 is a cylindrical extension above disc 29, being slotted at 34, the bottom of the slotbeing slightly above the top face of the disc.

Screwed into the top of elbow fitting 17 in axial alignment with its lower portion 18, pipe 22 and foot valve 28 and its casing, is a plug 35 having a threaded portion 36 engaging the fitting 17, a flange 37, and a square top 38 for application of a suitable wrench. 39 is a compressible gasket between the flange 37 and the face of fitting 17 to make a tight joint between plug 35 and the fitting. Plug 35 is threaded at its bottom in line with its axis for a small tube 40 which extends downwardly through pipe 22. The bottom of tube 40 is squeezed together to form a flattened end 41 which projects into the slot 34 of the foot valve 28 terminating a little above its bottom, the distance between the bottom of the slot 34 of the valve 28 and the bottom of the flattened end 41 of the tube being the lift of the valve. 42 are pins driven through the tube 41 in angular relation to each other, located near its top and bottom,.although they may be placed equally advantageously near each other,for the purpose of guiding the tube 41 in a central position within the pipe 22 and thereby in axial alignment with the foot valve, avoiding undue side strains between its flattened end 41 and the sides of the slot 34 in the valve 28. 43 are perfora tions through the tube 41 at, respectively, its bottom and its top.

44 is a suction pipe leading to the pumping mechanism of the system, this pipe being coupled to the threaded end 21 of the elbow fitting 17 by means of a commercial pipe union 45, shown diagrammatically in dotted lines inFig. 1.

In the operation of my device, when sediment or other foreign matter keep the valve wedged in its seat, I unscrew the plug 35 a one-half or one full turn and work it back and forth a few times. Doing so will also turn the valve 28 by virtue of the flattened end of the tube 40 engaging the walls of the slot 34 in the valve. This loosens the valve from its seat and permits the liquid in the tank to flush the sediment off its seat. The same method is followed if it is desired to grind the valve to its 'seat, in which case the gritty sediment around the seat acts as a grinding compound and effects a tightly closing valve.

Attention is particularly drawn to the fact that the guide tube 40 does not appreciably reduce the effective area of the pipe stub 44, because of its perforations 43v which permit the liquid to be drawn through it, so that this area is reduced only by the actual cross-section of the walls of the tube which is negligible for all practical purposes.

If for any reason it is found desirable to remove the foot valve entirely for replacement or other purposes, I unscrew the coupling nut 20 by means of a suitable wrench in contact with its polygonal sides 20", or if, as shown in Fig. 1, the space around the nut is perhaps too small for convenient application of a wrench, I insert a chisel or other flat metal piece intoone of the slots 20 and use a hammer against the same to loosen the nut. Next I disconnect the two halves of the union 45. I. am then able to withdraw the elbow fitting 17 which carries the pipe 22 and the foot valve 28 and its casing. The largest outside diameter of the foot valve casing 24 issmall enough to pass through the inner bore 15 of thebushing 10.

The'entire unit lends itself to ready 1narketing, being completely assembled at the manufacturing plant and shipped to the point of application where it can be inserted into the tank without loss of time incidental to the fitting together of the several constituents embodied in, tank pipe connections as heretofore constructed. It is obvious that repairs to the foot valve can be accomplished very easily and without lengthily interrupting the operation of the system.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

hat I claim asnew, is:

1. A. tank suction pipe unit comprising a bushing secured to a tank, a fitting adapted to be attached to a suction pipe and removably fastened to the said bushing, a pipe stub secured to the said fitting and adapted to be inserted into the tank, a foot valve and easing carried by the said stub, and means projecting externally of the said fitting for rotating the said foot valve.

2. A tank suction pipe unit comprising a bushing secured to a tank, a fitting adapted to be attached to a suctionpipe and removably fastened to the said bushing, a pipe stub secured to the said fitting and adapted to be inserted into the tank through the said bushing, a foot valve and casing carried by the said stub, and means projecting, externally of the said fitting for rotating the said foot valve.

3. A. tank suction pipe unit comprising a bushing secured to a tank, a fitting adapted to be attached to a suction pipe and removably fastened to the said bushing, a pipe stub secured to the said fitting and adapted 'to be inserted into the tank through the said bushing, a foot valve and easing carried by the said stub, and means extending through the said stub and projecting externally of the said fitting for. rotatingthe said foot valve.

4. A tank suction pipeunit comprising a bushing secured to a tank, a fitting adapted to be attached to a suction pipe and removably fastened to the said bushing, a pipe stub secured to the said fitting and adapted to be inserted into the tank through the said bushing, a foot valve and casing carried by the said stub, and meansextending through the said stub and projecting externally of the said fitting engaging a slot inthe said valve for rotating the valve upon its seat.

5. The combination of a fitting secured to the outside of a tank, a pipefastened to the fitting extending into the tank, a foot valve and casing carried by the said pipe, a tube extending through the said pipe having its lower end flattened and engaging a slot in the said foot valve, and means at the outside of the said fitting for roating he said tube and the said valve. 7

6. The combination of a fitting secured to the outside of a tank, a pipe fastened to the fitting extending into the tank, a foot valve and easing carried by the said pipe, a perforated tube extending through the said pipe having its lower end flattened and engaging a slot in the said foot valve, and means at the outside of the said fitting for rotating the said tube and the said valve.

7 The combination of'a fitting secured to the outside of a tank, a pipe fastened to the fitting extending into the tank, a foot valve and easing carried by the said pipe, a tube' extending through the said pipe having its lower end flattened and engaging a slot in the said foot valve, means at the outside of the said fitting for rotating the said tube and the said valve, and pins driven through the said tube in angular relation to each other to hold the tube in central alignment with the said pipe and the said foot valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER WOLLHEIM. 

